Transcript Highlights:

• and out-of-school youth.
• of an apprenticeship while still in school.
• and out of school youth. creating a connected pathways for both in school and out of school youth.
• There were three things I wanted to do in high school, none of them were high school.
• They get that in high school.

Summary: The hearing opened the Select Committee on Effective Postsecondary Career, Technical Education, and Workforce Development Programs at Santa Ana College, with Assemblymember Mike Fong emphasizing the need for affordable, accelerated pathways into high-demand careers and noting his bill AB 1098 creating the California Interagency Education Council. Chancellor Marvin Martinez welcomed the committee and urged changes to AB 927 to remove the “duplication” barrier for community college bachelor’s degrees, arguing that applied baccalaureate programs can lead to high-wage jobs and expand access for low- and middle-income students. The first panel focused on statewide workforce trends and policy. California Community Colleges Vice Chancellor Anthony Cordova highlighted credit for prior learning, Strong Workforce funding, dual enrollment, and apprenticeship growth, asking the Legislature to restore and increase Strong Workforce funding and expand applied baccalaureate degrees. LAEDC’s Josep Bilayo described regional labor market data showing growth in health care, education, construction, bioscience, and clean energy, while stressing the need for employer-led, data-driven programs, wraparound supports, and flexible funding. Andrew Gonzalez of the Building and Construction Trades Council argued that registered apprenticeship must be paid, combine classroom and on-the-job training, and end in a portable credential; he also promoted apprenticeship readiness programs, community workforce agreements, and stronger exposure to trades starting in K-12. Eric Morrison Smith of the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color discussed the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship Grant Program and related youth apprenticeship recommendations, including bridge programs, intermediary infrastructure, reduced employer barriers, and better coordination of state funding. A later panel highlighted Santa Ana College’s fire technology and firefighting academy programs. President Annabelle Neri and Vice President Jeffrey Lamb said the college is one of the state’s largest fire training providers, with strong partnerships with local fire agencies, law enforcement, and the U.S. Forest Service, and with high job placement and six-figure starting salaries for some graduates. They also described related certificates, advanced officer training, wellness services, and workforce preparation such as mock interviews and sponsorships. Throughout the hearing, members and panelists repeatedly stressed the importance of aligning education with labor market demand, expanding apprenticeships and work-based learning, and using regional collaboration to connect students to living-wage careers.

Transcript Highlights:

• c> incurring<00:27:22.320> the<00:27:22.400> debt<00:27:22.640> that law school
• and incurring the debt that law school and incurring the debt that was<00:27:22.960> involved
• Um, we're here today to talk about the multidisciplinary recovery and re-entry team.
• team, which still meets every re-entry team, which still meets every Friday,<00:58:59.200> just
• The multidisciplinary recovery re-entry team was just born out of the program that Rob indicated.

Keywords: 0:00:04 Call to Order 0:00:50 Dept for Public Advocacy 0:51:31 Life Learning Center 1:21:06 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary heard testimony from the Department of Public Advocacy (DPA) on attorney compensation and alternatives to incarceration. Because the committee lacked a quorum, the chair skipped formal roll call and minutes approval, then invited DPA Public Advocate Damon Preston, Deputy Public Advocate Melanie Lowe, and alternative sentencing worker Cena/Tina Mills to present. Preston said DPA is fully state-funded, has 698 funded positions, and was near full staffing with 673 filled positions and 42 new law graduates expected to join in August. He argued that DPA’s resources lag behind those of prosecutors, noting that local prosecutorial offices receive substantially more total funding and have additional revenue sources beyond the state budget. Preston focused on salary disparities and turnover. He said DPA trial-office attorneys total about $26 million in salaries, compared with about $41.9 million for prosecutors on publicly listed state funding, and estimated that more than 100 additional prosecutors are paid through other sources, bringing total prosecutor compensation to a little over $50 million versus DPA’s $26 million. He said starting DPA attorney pay is $58,200, experienced attorney pay averages about $73,000, and that these levels are too low given law school debt and the state’s constitutional obligation to provide defense counsel. He also said DPA attorney turnover is about 20%, median service time before separation was 15 months in 2024, and exit interviews often cite salary as the main reason for leaving. He gave examples of former DPA attorneys moving to prosecutor offices for raises ranging from 12% to 50%. Committee members asked about how often defendants are represented by private counsel versus DPA and how that affects workload. Preston said a 2017 study found about 50% of misdemeanor cases and about 75% of circuit court cases were handled by DPA, with DPA handling most of the most labor-intensive cases. He said DPA will step aside when a defendant hires private counsel or is found ineligible, and he acknowledged the system historically erred by denying counsel in some cases, though he said the current concern is whether DPA is now appointed too broadly. Members requested updated trend data on appointments over the past decade. Preston also described DPA’s pay scale and said the agency’s compensation structure makes retention difficult. Mills then described DPA’s alternative sentencing worker program, which she said has operated for about 20 years and has received national recognition. She shared a case example involving a client named Patrick, who faced a prison sentence on a possession charge and was referred to a horse-based treatment and certification program in Shelbyville. She said the client wanted treatment and a fresh start, a bed became available, and she and the client’s attorney presented an alternative sentencing plan to the court. The presentation was interrupted briefly by a technical issue, but the testimony continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• In high school, he started playing AAU. He had an ankle fracture and back pain.
• Had I been 10 years younger, maybe medical school.
• She currently attends a therapeutic school after very costly litigation involving her local public school
• she was subsequently too afraid to take the bus to school.
• There's a journal entry where I said, 'I have a cloud in my heart.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on a large group of behavioral health and insurance-related bills. Topics included expanding access to mental health services by allowing physician assistants to authorize Section 12 emergency holds and be recognized as licensed mental health professionals (H. 1131/S. 773); improving coverage for community behavioral health centers so commercial insurance matches MassHealth’s bundled outpatient and crisis services (H. 1276/S. 703); eliminating cost sharing for certain behavioral health services (S. 718); extending detox and clinical stabilization coverage from 14 to 30 days and adding transitional support services (H. 1319/S. 772); requiring coverage for dual-diagnosis treatment in psychiatric facilities (H. 1277/S. 771); and preserving access to treatment for serious mental illness through coverage of coordinated specialty care and assertive community treatment (H. 1135/S. 709). The committee also heard bills on preventive behavioral health services for children (H. 1228/S. 802) and post-pregnancy mental health care, including postpartum depression and pregnancy loss-related care (H. 1314/S. 823).

Transcript Highlights:

• The re-entry process is an opportunity to provide people with essential healthcare services.
• I've spoken at universities, including Texas A&M, UT Austin School of Nursing.
• Uh, the Sunset Commission reviewed the Windham School District, which provides educational programs and
• And in initial sunset report, TDCJ and the Windham School District stated that their goals are for 95%
• A provisional license to an inmate who is a student or a graduate at the Windham School District or in

Bills: HB153

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows ESE 3-year-olds and VPK 4-year-olds to continue a program that is offered in elementary school
• to expand into before and after care hours without the school needing a childcare facility license.
• creates the Brighter Futures Fund within the Education Foundation to help private dollars go towards school
• They may have seen it in medical school, but it's not something that's not seen every day basis.
• When families lose SNAP, children also lose access to school meals, community eligibility, summer EBT

Transcript Highlights:

• entry of Chinese people based on race. entry of Chinese people based on race.
• , from high school, from high school, from<02:21:49.439> college,<02:21:50.880> and
• and parents from schools. and parents from schools.
• And it was a school that had over 150 languages represented just in that one elementary school.
• I went to school in New Mexico.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have gambling peers, re-entry peers, and they really need to be overseen in one place.
• We have gambling peers, re-entry peers, and they really need to be overseen in one place.
• We have gambling peers, re-entry peers, and they really need to be overseen in one place.
• We have gambling peers, re-entry peers, and they really need to be overseen in one place.
• Evidence of that: have a high school diploma or GED. So you have those things.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations met on February 24, 2026, with a quorum present and took up one bill, House Bill 470. The bill sponsor and supporters described it as a cleanup measure to House Bill 505 that would extend the deadline for peer support specialists in the substance use field to become registered, because the earlier regulations were not promulgated in time and employers and workers were left in limbo. Supporters said the bill includes an emergency clause to stabilize the workforce and creates a working group to recommend a more effective oversight structure, possibly a new board, by November 1. They argued the extension would preserve access to services, allow providers to continue billing for peer support, and give the state time to address regulatory backlogs and workforce shortages. Several supporters emphasized that peer support is a critical part of recovery services and that the current system needs better infrastructure, accountability, and uniform standards. They said the bill would help prevent fraud and abuse by tightening guardrails while allowing qualified peers to keep working. One supporter said the bill would close the door on higher-level billing abuses and that other Medicaid-related efforts were also underway to address improper billing practices. Another witness said the bill would allow people who completed certification to continue serving and would help providers retain staff and get reimbursed. Senator McDaniel raised concerns that the bill might simply extend the period during which abuse of the peer recovery model could continue, rather than fixing the underlying problems. In response, the sponsors said House Bill 505 already imposed tighter training requirements and that this bill only extends the registration deadline while other efforts, including managed care organization limits and broader Medicaid reforms, are addressing abuse. Senator Howell asked about barriers to registration, and witnesses said the problem was a mix of supply-demand issues, workload, and some applicants’ reluctance to take the test. Senator Berg supported the bill as necessary to ensure proper billing and accountability, while Senator Meredith said the committee was missing key information from the cabinet and suggested it may be premature to act without hearing from the agency. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you receive an entrance ticket, please retain it as it may be required for re-entry if you leave the
• 00:01:45.600> be<00:01:45.759> required<00:01:46.079> for<00:01:46.320> re-entry
• <00:01:46.880> if<00:01:47.200> you may be required for re-entry if you may be required
• for re-entry if you leave<00:01:47.600> the<00:01:47.840> hearing<00:01:48.159> room
• It can be provided in schools and community settings as well as in a center-based setting.

Bills: HF3379

Keywords: housing stabilization, disability services, predatory funding, provider requirements, housing accessibility, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So imagine not being able to go to medical school. appointments, not being able to go grocery shopping
• At that time, they sent me to the Texas School for the Deaf, which uses sign language for communication
• I was even a cheerleader at my school. school.
• After graduation from Texas School for the Deaf, I attended college at Southwest College.
• I worked at San Antonio Independent Living Services, it's called SALES, and I was data entry person.

Bills: HB451, HB645, HB 1041, HB 1151, HB 1155, HB1536, HCR12, HCR12

Keywords: commercial sexual exploitation, child sex trafficking, human trafficking, child welfare, foster care, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, juvenile probation, risk assessment, needs assessment, trauma screening, child abuse prevention, exploitation screening, validated screening tool, evidence-informed tool, conservatorship, juvenile justice, at-risk youth, trafficking prevention, Child Sex Trafficking Prevention Unit

Transcript Highlights:

• We're able to go to school. I am one of those lifers.
• And these are not fictional examples of government entry onto private land.
• She watched home from school for lunch, made crafts, planned vacations.
• , high school, and college.
• My person in prison said, 'If I can get my GED in prison, you can finish high school.'

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on several Judiciary bills, with the largest portion focused on S. 1178/H. 2052 to reduce mass incarceration and end life without parole. People incarcerated at MCI Framingham, MCI Norfolk, and NCCI Gardner described personal growth, rehabilitation, restorative justice work, family separation, and the belief that parole eligibility after long sentences would better reflect public safety and human development. Speakers emphasized that life without parole removes hope and can undermine rehabilitation, while supporters argued that many lifers are older, less likely to reoffend, and could contribute positively if given a chance at parole review. Committee members did not take votes during the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on S. 1139 to restore the statute of limitations for wrongful death claims involving tobacco use, with Sen. Keenan explaining that a recent SJC decision had cut off claims where the injured person did not sue within three years before death. He said the bill would restore families’ ability to seek redress in cases involving long-latency tobacco harms like COPD. Another major topic was S. 1205, which would add abusive litigation to the definition of coercive control in domestic violence law; Sen. Michael Moore said the bill would stop abusers from using repeated court filings to harass and financially burden survivors. The committee also took up S. 1114 on automatic record sealing, with Sen. Friedman and others arguing that the current petition-based process is slow, burdensome, and disproportionately harms people with criminal records, especially Black and Latino residents. Testimony also supported H. 1965/S. 1132 on compensation for wrongful conviction, with advocates and sponsors describing a faster administrative claims process, transitional support, and higher compensation without the current cap. Sen. Payano testified for S. 1241 to expand educational programming for incarcerated emerging adults, saying education reduces recidivism and improves reentry outcomes. A substantial portion of the hearing focused on S. 2522, an update to Massachusetts’ shield law for reproductive and gender-affirming care. Sen. Friedman, the Attorney General’s office, and DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said the bill is needed to strengthen protections against out-of-state legal attacks, protect patient and provider data, clarify enforcement authority, and add a state-level EMTALA-style emergency care requirement. Committee members asked detailed questions about prescription labeling, the prescription monitoring program, attorney discipline, custody and full faith and credit issues, and whether the bill’s enforcement language could create unintended limits or conflicts. The Attorney General’s office said it would provide follow-up written testimony on several technical questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I would think that making sure there's basic food safety at schools, childcare centers, restaurants
• Maybe struggling at school or whatever, the General Services Division, because they deal with a lot of
• For example, the first entry point, or one of the first entry points, should be access to having 988,
• So, the CCBHCs aren't necessarily in schools; they may partner with them.
• Rates have gone up between 2020 and 2024 for many of the schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• School of Business, and an adjunct professor at SMU's law school.
• The kid goes to school. It's traumatic.
• It's happening at our schools, right?
• We are failing all kids, not just the ones that are having the deep banks done around them in school.
• As a young adult, she was a handful, and by that I mean active in school activities.

Bills: HB32, HB15, HB171, HB421, HB581, HB644, HB745, HB349, HB917, HB204, HB923, HB15, HB171, HB204

Keywords: eviction, landlord rights, tenant rights, justice court, property law, court procedures, chemical dependency, court-ordered treatment, mental health, health care, treatment facility, juvenile justice, criminal justice reform, deep fake, digital impersonation, age verification, private cause of action, explicit content, consumer protection, HB 581

Transcript Highlights:

• The port of entry monitoring.
• <01:20:57.920> for look at different pathways of entry for look at different pathways of entry
• So, for example, invasive ants can be spread at ports of entry.
• <01:30:26.560> monitoring about the port of entry monitoring about the port of entry monitoring
• <01:41:15.520> monitoring upcoming um port of entry monitoring upcoming um port of entry monitoring

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• FOR EXAMPLE IF A DOOR IS HARDENED AGAINST ENTRY WHAT CAN HAPPEN? I'M NOT AN ENGINEER.
• I WAS WRITING SO FAST IT REMINDED ME OF WAS I WAS IN NURSING SCHOOL AND THE INSTRUCTOR NEVER STOPPED.
• IF YOU LOSE ENTRY OR A KEY WINDOW OR AREAS WITH THE WIND IS BLOWING AND YOU HAVE THE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL
• DOOR WHAT THE STUDY ESTABLISHES IS THAT THE SLIDING GLASS DOOR WILL BE ONE OF THE WEAKEST POINTS OF ENTRY

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• rehabilitation and successful re-entry rehabilitation and successful re-entry into<00:04:50.320>
• I also connect with the relatives inside and when they get out on re-entry, so it's something that's
• so it's it's um something on re-entry so it's it's um something that's<00:07:46.960> needed<00
• do to make sure kids are fed in school do to make sure kids are fed in school in<01:18:20.280>
• <01:45:28.920> if approaching the um schools and seeing if approaching the um schools and

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• were scared to go to school. were scared to go to school.
• I take my kids to school. Should I take my kids to school? >> Mr.
• And it wasn't just the big regular public schools. It was the charter schools.
• It was the charter public schools. It was the charter schools. schools. schools.
• schools with binoculars. schools with binoculars.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• schools.
• not summer school.”
• instead of 10 schools.
• We don't, in the NES schools, the 130 out of 274, 273 schools are NES schools.
• We don't, in the NES schools, the 130 out of 274, 273 schools are NES schools.

Summary: The committee continued hearing testimony on Senate Bill 2252, which would expand early literacy and numeracy screening, parent notification, intervention supports, and teacher training, including math academies and early childhood supports. Supporters from Texas 2036, Good Reason Houston, Texas Business Leadership Council, and several parents argued that early identification of skill gaps, clearer data for families, and stronger teacher preparation would improve student outcomes, workforce readiness, and long-term earnings. They cited low math proficiency statewide, the importance of early intervention, and examples of districts using screeners and data dashboards to guide instruction and resource allocation. One witness also highlighted home visiting as a family-support model, while another urged more funding for pre-K partnerships and stronger support for parents with reading materials and guidance. A district special education administrator testified neutrally, saying the bill reflects practices already used in her district but expressing concern that it could reduce local control and teacher discretion by standardizing screening and tying it to funding. A Texas Classroom Teachers Association representative supported the intent but warned that mandatory math academies and intervention academies could burden teachers if implemented like prior reading academies, and a substitute teacher/teacher-of-the-year witness asked for clearer protections around special education information and pay for alternative certification candidates. After public testimony closed, SB 2252 was left pending. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2253, as substituted, which would phase out routine hiring of uncertified teachers over time, require parent notification when a teacher is uncertified, and expand high-quality preparation pathways such as university programs, residencies, improved alternative certification, and grow-your-own programs. Senator Creighton said the bill responds to the rise in uncertified teachers and aims to strengthen the teacher pipeline with more structured preparation, mentorship, and oversight by SBEC. Invited testimony strongly supported the measure: a Texas Tech researcher said uncertified teachers and fast-track programs are associated with significant learning losses, while year-long residencies and mentored pathways produce stronger outcomes and higher earnings for students. Leaders from Dallas College and Sam Houston State University described successful residency and grow-your-own models, high completion and retention rates, and the need for paid residencies and stipends so candidates can afford to enter the profession. Committee members asked about the difference between mentorship and residency, the cost-effectiveness of paid residencies, retention incentives, and how to scale the model statewide. The committee also adopted the substitute for SB 2253 and later paused to vote out several other bills, including SB 1191, SB 1786, SB 226, SB 326, SB 570, SB 870, SB 991, SB 60, SB 365, SB 1401, and SB 1067, all of which were reported favorably, many with unanimous votes and some placed on the local and uncontested calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• they used to get funding for school supplies.
• I don't see it, and there's no school supplies to support elementary school, middle school, or high school
• Just to clarify, the Zuni Public School District seceded from the Gallup McKinley School District in
• I am here representing the high school of Six Directions Indigenous School.
• We interviewed the high school and the middle school, but the high school did a protest.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill currently sits in Education Finance, and this is a bill that's related to 2018 Safe School
• This bill would redirect those unused funds to schools for law enforcement entry devices.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the school district.
• Is it all of the Arkansas schools? Is it a... Arkansas schools? Is it all of the Arkansas schools?
• And it's available to every school district in the state, charter schools as well? Yes.
• for school-based counseling.
• counselor or the school?

Summary: The PEER Review Subcommittee met to consider a large agenda of budget, appropriation, transfer, and contract items. Members approved temporary appropriation requests for several agencies, including the Auditor of State, Department of Education, and Labor and Licensing; ARPA return requests from Workforce Services; Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requests for State Police and Agriculture; restricted reserve transfers for teacher scholarships, school facilities, and economic stimulus; a Commerce reallocation of positions and spending authority; cash fund, budget classification, overtime, and pay plan requests; and 17 methods of finance items for universities and other agencies. Most items were approved without objection after brief explanations from staff and agencies. Several items drew questions and were held or discussed further. A Department of Human Services discretionary grant package for the RSVP program was held over after Senator Irvin raised concerns about whether the grants were an effective use of state general revenue and asked for more information on administration costs and program operations. In the contracts section, Representative Richardson questioned a DHS sole-source contract with EMS Link for document management software and a DHS contract with Presidio; the EMS Link item was held for additional answers, while the Presidio item was clarified as not sole-source and was allowed to proceed. Members also asked for more information on a Department of Education mental health referral contract with Care Solace, which officials said is a statewide concierge/referral service connecting students to Arkansas providers and telehealth options. The committee also reviewed monthly reports, including the Medicaid Trust Fund. DHS and DFA officials said the fund was currently sufficient to finish the fiscal year, though it was being drawn down and would likely require a $100 million transfer from restricted reserves in FY27, with another $100 million set aside in the governor’s budget as a backstop. Members discussed the need to define a minimum reserve level and to better account for ongoing Medicaid costs in the budget. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.